


Poison Curse

by Periazhad



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Suicidal Thoughts, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29013654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Periazhad/pseuds/Periazhad
Summary: When Jason was five, he liked to play on the fire escape. One day, he overheard someone say, “Everything I touch dies. Maybe I’m poisonous, or just cursed.” He thought it was silly, people aren’t poisonous, but he never forgot it.But everyone around him kept dying.When he was trafficked to Bruce Wayne, he was grateful his curse was finally going to kill someone who deserved it.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 32
Kudos: 325





	Poison Curse

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I'm not super thrilled with this, but the idea wouldn't go away, but I don't like it enough to polish it anymore, so here it is.
> 
> Shoutout to [Iselsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iselsis/pseuds/iselsis) for helping me figure out how Bruce and Alfred would react to Jason's theory.

When Jason was five, he liked to play on the fire escape. One day, he overheard someone say, “Everything I touch dies. Maybe I’m poisonous, or just cursed.” He thought it was silly, people aren’t poisonous, but he never forgot it.

The next week he had a different teacher at school. Jason thought she moved, grownups are always moving around, but overheard the older kids talking about how she was murdered. She hugged Jason every day. He wondered if he really was poisonous, the kind that gives people bad luck. It’s silly, though, his mom and dad hugged him a lot more.

Jason put the idea out of his head, until his best friend in first grade disappeared. A week later, they found her body in an alley. Jason reminded himself his mom is just fine, and she sees him every day.

When his dad was murdered in prison, Jason crept up to his mom and asked her if it’s true that people can be poisonous and cause bad luck. 

“I heard someone say it once, that she was poisonous, cursed,” he quietly said, “and I think I am, too.”

His mom laughed, and kissed his head. “People aren’t poisonous, Jason. Sometimes bad things just happen.”

“But mom,” Jason’s voice wobbled, “Bad things happen to everyone close to me. It’s like I curse them with death.”

She hugged Jason close to her, and told him, “It’s not your fault, baby. There are a lot of people in the world doing bad things, but it’s not you.”

Jason wondered if he should run away, just in case. Maybe his mom was wrong, and he’s been cursing her all along. He just wanted people to stop dying. 

Then she got sick, really sick. He couldn’t leave her then, even if it’s his fault. He dropped out of school to spend all his time trying to get money, through begging and stealing. He tried not to think about how he deserved this, how this was all his fault for being cursed. His mom said it wasn’t real, there are just bad people in the world, but now his mom is sick and what if she dies, too?

A woman at the grocery store who always gave him something extra and ruffled his hair died in a hold-up gone horribly wrong.

His downstairs neighbor, who always had time to give Jason a hug or let him warm up when they couldn’t afford to turn the heat on, was killed by one of her Johns.

Jason told himself Crime Alley was just a horrible place, it wasn’t him. Deep down, though, he wondered. No one else seemed to have quite this much terrible luck, no one else seemed to kill everyone they touch. He cried at night, when his mom was sleeping. He couldn’t leave her, she couldn’t take care of herself, she would die without him. But he couldn't stop feeling like he was killing her by staying with her, that she won’t get better and it will be all his fault.

When she does finally die, Jason couldn’t pretend anymore. Something was horribly wrong with him, and he wouldn’t let anyone else die. He disappeared onto the streets, so he didn’t get put into foster care. He avoided gangs, so he didn’t have to touch anyone. He won’t band together with any of the other street kids. He knew they thought he was snotty or stupid, but since he was saving their lives he didn’t really mind.

\---

Jason gets by for a year or two on the streets; it’s not great but it’s not terrible. He’s horrified every time someone tries to grab him and they end up dead, but he tells himself it’s not his fault. He tries to avoid everyone as much as possible.

He’s always hungry, though, and when Batman leaves his car unattended in Crime Alley he can’t just walk away. He’s working on the third tire when the hair on the back of his neck rises and he spins around. Too late.

Batman grabs his arm and Jason panics. Batman is the only good thing about Gotham, Jason can’t curse him.

“Stop! Let go of me,  _ please _ !” He’s begging, but Batman is just looking at him. He needs to let go before it’s too late. Jason yanks his arm over and over, so panicked he can’t really feel how much it hurts, because he can’t let Batman die. 

He starts to sob, when Batman picks him up. More contact, he’s going to kill Batman. “Please, you don’t understand, you have to  _ let go _ , it’s not safe!”

“I will keep you safe from anyone who would hurt you,” Batman says in a deep voice and Jason just struggles harder.

“Let go of me!” He pleads, sobbing, hysterical, terrified.

Batman cuffs Jason’s arms behind his back, and steps back.

Jason calms himself a little, but doesn’t try to run away. He sniffles, terrified Batman will touch him again and he’ll poison the best thing to ever happen to Gotham. If he doesn’t try to escape, Batman won’t need to touch him. Jason can give the tires back and Batman can let him go, and he’ll never be this stupid again. He’ll starve first, before he endangers Batman and Gotham.

Maybe he should just kill himself. His life really isn’t worth more than anyone else’s. He just wishes he could be left alone, and have enough to eat. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask, but he’s always killing people by accident and he’s always hungry.

Batman says, “I’m going to need those tires back, and we can get you somewhere safe.” It’s not Jason that needs to be safe, it’s everyone else that needs to be safe from him. It doesn’t seem likely Batman will just let him disappear back onto the streets, but he can always escape from foster care. He just needs to make sure Batman is safe.

“I’ll tell you, if you don’t touch me.” He glares the best he can, angry and watery and terrified, and Batman nods.

“I won’t touch you.” His deep voice is reassuring, but Jason doesn’t really believe him. Jason is just trying to do the right thing, and no one understands.

“They’re in the alley over there,” Jason says, and points as best he can with cuffed hands. He debates running while Batman is putting the tires back on, but handcuffed on the streets would be suicide, and what if Batman caught him and touched him again? He’s realizing he’s fine dying himself, no big loss, but he can’t risk Batman.

It’s awkward getting into the Batmobile without help, but true to his word Batman doesn’t touch him. Once they’re in the car, he asks Jason if it’s ok if he unlocks the cuffs. Jason considers it, someone is going to have to do it at some point time, so he leans forward. It is a lot more comfortable without his hands jammed behind his back.

Batman says, “I’m going to drop you with a friend of mine, a registered foster parent. You’ll be safe.”

Jason scoffs but doesn’t respond. The silence weighs heavily in the car, and then Jason notices they’ve been driving for a long time. The houses are getting fancier, the yards bigger. His heart sinks. No one in these houses takes in a street kid, except for one reason.

He turns to Batman and says, “I can’t believe you’re  _ trafficking  _ me, I guess everyone in Gotham is corrupt.” He sounds as betrayed as he feels. Batman was supposed to be the one good person, above corruption.

Jason can hear that Batman is horrified when he says, “I’m not trafficking you, I’m taking you somewhere safe.”

“Someone who lives _ here _ would never take a kid from  _ Crime Alley _ . Except for one reason. Must be some _ friend.” _ Jason puts all the scorn a nine year old can into his words.

Batman firmly repeats, “I’m taking you somewhere safe.”

Jason scoffs again. He’d always told himself the only upside of being trafficked was that he’d be able to poison every single pervert who touched him. So, he wouldn’t run away. He’d behave, he’d pretend, and he’d curse them all. He only wishes he'd touched Batman more, and killed him too.

—

After two weeks of no one trying to rape him, Jason was on edge all the time. He knew it was coming any moment now. The food was delicious, the house was huge, the library was amazing, but the pretense was exhausting.

Jason’s been careful to press up against Alfred while he cooks, pretending to be interested in cooking, but really to monitor for drugs and poison Alfred.

It turns out Jason was actually interested in cooking, so he ended up spending a lot of time in the kitchen with him. Alfred seemed to be sincere, always kind and gentle, and Jason was having trouble remembering it was just an act.

There never seemed to be drugs in the food. He stayed awake all night a couple times, to see if he was given anything to make him sleep so they could touch him then. When he was exhausted the next day, Bruce and Alfred were concerned, but not frustrated or annoyed. No one ever tried to enter his room.

He didn’t protest when Bruce carefully rested a hand on his shoulder, and he allowed Bruce to hug him. Soon enough, Bruce would lead him to his bedroom and do horrible things. If Jason was lucky, Alfred and Bruce would both die beforehand and Jason could go back to the streets.

Maybe he’d get caught by traffickers on purpose again, actually do something good for Gotham with his curse, before he killed himself.

\---

After a month, he worked up his courage to ask. He couldn’t stand not knowing and, even if Bruce raped him right then, he thought it would be worth it just to be done pretending.

He’s in the library, with Bruce sitting next to him. Jason puts down his book and waits for Bruce to mark his spot and look at Jason. Bruce is very committed to making Jason feel like he matters and Jason is going to miss the attention. He leaves his hands in his lap to hide their trembling and says, “So, when do you have sex with me?” Bruce drops his book and moves away from Jason like he’s been shocked.

“Jason, what? No one is going to touch you without your consent. Has someone done something? Said something?” Bruce is horrified and frantic.

Jason sighs, tired of the act. “Look, it’s been a month. I’m grateful for the food and the nice bed and the books, but there’s only one reason you’d bring a street kid here. I don’t really mind, you don't get something for nothing.” He does mind, but he keeps reminding himself it's going to save other kids.

Bruce is staring at him with something unreadable in his eyes. “Jason, have you thought - the whole time?” 

Jason picks at the edge of the sofa and shrugs.

Bruce stands abruptly and says, “Follow me.”  _ Finally,  _ Jason thinks, sick of waiting, and now sick with fear.  _ Finally _ .

Bruce leads him to his study, careful not to touch him. In the study, he fiddles with a huge clock until it opens. A secret door, that's pretty cool, except it probably leads to a sex dungeon and Jason will never come out and he's going to  _ die _ down there and it was really, really stupid to bring this up, he could have had more food and read some books and - he takes a deep breath. Bruce is watching him carefully.

“Jason, son, it's not what you think. I didn't buy you. I'm not going to have sex with you.” Jason doesn’t buy that for a moment and Bruce must read that on his face. His shoulders slump and he says, “I'm Batman.”

Jason's brain misfires, because he could have sworn Bruce Wayne just said he was Batman. And Bruce looks so nervous, Jason actually steps forward to look into the sex dungeon.

A staircase leads down into darkness. Jason remembers rumors that Batman has a cave and almost unwillingly starts going down.

He does find himself in a cave. The  _ Batcave _ . There’s a giant computer, and more than one batmobile, and what looks like a doctor’s table, and a big mat on the floor, and  _ he’s been poisoning Batman _ . 

He knows Bruce is hovering behind him, waiting for him to say anything but horror has stolen his voice. He turns to Bruce, to a billionaire who wants to actually adopt him, not just molest him, a hero in his city, someone he has been trying to kill, and bursts into tears.

He dodges around Bruce, ignoring his gentle words he doesn’t deserve, and runs until he’s safely locked up in his room, where he sinks to the ground, still sobbing. Why was he born with this awful curse? Why does everyone he touches die? And now he's ruined the best thing that's ever happened to him,  _ on purpose _ .

He's such an idiot, no pervert was going to wait a month before touching him. Bruce is going to die, Batman is going to die. Jason and his poison curse and his stupid, idiotic ideas have ruined any chance of a better Gotham.

He hears knocking on his door and shrieks, “Go away!” before flinging himself on his bed. When he’s done crying, he still doesn’t move. No one else has knocked on the door. He’s getting hungry, and wonders if he can sneak down to the kitchen. Not that he deserved food. He peeks out his door.

There's a tray of food on the ground, with Bruce sitting next to it. Bruce looks at him with worried eyes, and Jason almost starts crying again. Bruce wordlessly holds the food tray out to him, and Jason snatches at it. When he goes back into his room, he leaves the door open.

He’s thought about his options. He can grab his stashes and leave, but that’s not going to save Bruce or Alfred and they won’t even realize he’s cursed them. He can tell them, but he doesn’t think they’ll believe him. He’s hoping that if he stays, and never touches them again, somehow that will save them.

On the streets, he saw it sometimes only took one touch. He’s not sure why it’s different for different people, but his mom lasted the longest and he loved her the most. Maybe if he just loves Bruce and Alfred, which he admits to himself won’t be hard, he can keep them alive longer.

He's trying not to cry again, because there's no good solution. Bruce has followed him and sits on the bed, far away from Jason. “Jason, I'm never going to touch you like that.”

Jason sniffles, rubs his eyes, and says, “I know that now.”

“Has someone - have you been hurt before, Jaylad?” Bruce is anxious, tripping over his words.

“Nah, Bruce, I was too quick on the streets to get caught.”

“That's good.” 

There's a moment of awkward silence and Jason says, “Can I be Robin, then?” Not that he’d be Robin for long but maybe he’d learn something to keep himself safe on the streets, when it was all over. When Bruce was dead.

Bruce laughs and says, “We'll have to ask Dick,” but when he goes to ruffle Jason's hair, Jason ducks away.

\---

Alfred sets him down with a cup of tea and said, “If anyone ever makes you feel unsafe in this house, I will take care of it. That _ includes _ Master Bruce.” Jason looks into his blue eyes and believes him. It hurts that he believes it, because he knows they’re going to die.

\---

One night, Bruce isn’t down for dinner. Jason isn’t alarmed, often Bruce is caught up in meetings with WE or just stuck at the office. But then Alfred says, “I sent him to bed with soup, it seems he's getting a cold.” The blood drains from Jason's face. “Master Jason? Master Jason, it's just a cold, he'll be right as rain in a day or two.” He can hardly hear Alfred over the rushing in his ears

_ No, it’s too soon, please no, I love him, you can’t kill him yet _ .

He’s running out of the dining room before he’s even thought about it, Alfred’s shouts following him. Bruce is Batman, he has to tell him, maybe he knows something, someone that can save. He can’t just let Bruce die.

He bursts through Bruce’s door and flings himself on the bed. He doesn’t even know when he started sobbing.

“Please don’t die, please don’t die, it’s all my fault, I let you touch me when I thought you were gonna have sex with me and I’m  _ sorry _ , I don’t know how to fix it, please don’t die. I thought if I loved you, you’d stay alive longer, but now you’re sick, and my mom got sick and then she died,” Jason’s chest is heaving, he’s panicking, sobbing on Bruce’s chest.

Bruce’s arms are wrapped around him, keeping him safe and warm, and Jason cries harder. He wants this, he wants this forever, he wants Bruce to be his dad, he doesn’t want Bruce to die.

Alfred says, “Goodness gracious, what’s happening here?”

Jason sobs harder and says, “You’re gonna be next, I’m sorry Alfred, I only touched you because I thought you were gonna put drugs in my food and I thought you were helping him and I don’t want you to die, I don’t want anyone to die, it’s not fair!”

Bruce is rubbing his back, and he starts saying things in a soothing tone. Jason can’t even hear them, the panic and grief and guilt overwhelming him. He suddenly realizes he’s on top of Bruce and shoves backwards and screams, “You can’t TOUCH ME! It’s going to kill you faster!”

“Master Jason!” He whips his head around, shock at the firm tone breaking him out of the worst of his panic. “Master Jason,” Alfred says again, gently this time. “Are we to understand that you believe you think you’re killing us by touching us?”

“I know - I know it sound stupid, Alfie, but I swear it’s true. My mom said people can’t be poisonous, but it’s more of a curse, everyone who touches me ends up dying, and it’s me, it’s my fault, and I think maybe if I love them they last longer, like my mom. But even - even people on the streets. A gang member tried to grab me once, and I bit him and ran away, but he died in the drive-by the next week, it’s  _ everyone _ , and I thought -” he starts crying too hard to talk and Bruce and Alfred exchange a look.

“Jason, son,” Bruce’s voice is so kind, Jason cries harder. “You’re not cursed. Your mom was right, people aren’t poisonous, aren’t cursed.”

“But - But Bruce,  _ everyone _ , my teacher, my neighbors, my friends, the woman at the grocery store, everyone  _ died _ .”

Bruce’s face looks so sad as he says, “Jaylad, you lived in Crime Alley. It’s not safe there, but it’s not you.”

Jason shakes his head and says, “I knew you wouldn’t believe me and you’re going to die and I’ll be back on the streets.” He can’t stop crying. He’s done this, he has to deal with the consequences.

Bruce reaches out a hand, but drops it when Jason flinches away. “Do you think it’s similar to a meta gene or an actual curse?”

Jason looks blankly at him. “What?”

“How you kill people, is it something similar to super-strength or maybe a magical curse?”

Jason thinks about it, enough that he stops crying. He rubs his eyes and says, “I don’t know.”

“Well, Master Jason, it seems we should get you to the Cave and run some tests. Perhaps call in a magical user and run some tests.”

This is - This is what Jason hoped for, when he confessed to Bruce, but he can’t believe it’s actually happening. Bruce  _ believes _ him, and maybe they can actually fix it. Of course, he’s back out on the streets either way, Bruce isn’t keeping someone who tried to kill him and didn’t even tell him, but maybe he won’t have to kill himself. Maybe he can make a life for himself when he doesn’t kill everyone he touches.

\---

Alfred wants to wait to run tests until Bruce is over his cold, but one look at Jason’s panicked face makes it clear that’s not an option. Bruce calls Zatanna in and draws Jason’s blood while they’re waiting.

“I already checked for meta-genes, Jaylad, when you first came to us, but I can check again. We will check for everything.” Jason just nods.

When Zatanna arrives, Bruce explains Jason’s theory. She looks at Jason’s tearstained, dejected misery and makes no comment. She sets up a small circle and ushers Jason into it. A few muttered spells later, she says, “There’s no curse on him, innate or placed. Meaning, you weren’t born with a curse, and no one has laid one on you. Unless you have the worst meta gene I’ve ever heard of, you may just have had a string of terrible luck.” Her kindness grates on Jason, because it’s not bad luck, it’s  _ his fault. _ He mutters a thank you, and she leaves.

Jason sits quietly on a chair in medbay. Alfred brings down a tray of tea and scones, but his stomach is so twisted he can’t make himself eat. Bruce glances over at him regularly, but Jason won’t meet his eyes.

When Bruce walks over and crouches in front of him, careful not to touch him, Jason unwillingly looks at him.

“Did you get the results? Am I poisonous?”

Bruce looks at him steadily. “Jason, there are no meta genes in your DNA. Nothing unusual in your bloodwork. You are not cursed or poisonous.” 

Jason looks away and absorbs that. Bruce isn’t going to die. Alfred isn’t going to die. No one is going to die because of Jason. No one  _ has _ died because of Jason. His whole life shifts on its axis, but his misery remains. He mutters, “I’ll go pack my bag.”

Bruce, reaching out to Jason, jerks back and says, “Jaylad, what? Why?”

“Well, you’re not gonna want me around anymore, I’m not stupid. I mean, I am stupid, I thought I was poison cursed and didn’t tell anyone, and endangered you and Alfred. You don’t want someone like me around.”

He pushes the chair back and heads for the stairs. Bruce rushes in front of him. “Jason, no! I won’t - we won’t keep you here against your will, but we want you. Jason, I love you.” He hesitates. “I was hoping you’d let me adopt you.”

Jason’s world shifts on its axis, again. He feels like the Cave itself is shifting around him. Everything seems unreal and he feels uncertain, off balance. “You really want me? Some crazy, stupid street kid from Crime Alley?” 

Bruce looks a little pained but says, “Yes, I want my clever, bright, Jaylad. My son, who reads the day away, who cooks with Alfred, who wants to be Robin with a passion for justice that might outstrip mine and Dick’s.”

Jason looks at Bruce, trembling. Bruce has never yelled at him, or thought he was stupid. Bruce has been gentle, caring, and kind. Batman saved him from the streets, and didn’t touch him even though Jason stole his tires.

Bruce is waiting, even now, for Jason to be comfortable. He’s knelt down, so he’s right at Jason’s level. He’s never pushed, never demanded. He’s always offered, always been available. Jason thought it was just lulling him into false security, so when Bruce brought him to his bed he’d be less likely to make a fuss. But he sees, now, that it was just Bruce.

He could have this, forever, and he realizes there is nothing he wants more. He bursts into tears and throws himself into Bruce’s arms. Bruce wraps his arms around him, and he’s finally warm and safe. “Yes,” he sobs out, “Yes, please, I want to stay.” Bruce tightens his arms and kisses his head.

“Well,” Alfred says, “I see a celebration cake is required.”

**Author's Note:**

> And then Bruce sneezes and everyone remembers he is still sick. The cake is planned for when Bruce is healthy, and Alfred insists Bruce go back to bed immediately. Neither Jason nor Bruce are willing to be separated, despite Alfred’s concerns about Jason getting sick, and so, without realizing it, they begin their sick day tradition of movies in bed.


End file.
